The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, says the government’s greatest difficulty in the fight against illegal mining is ensuring that arrested suspects are successfully prosecuted.

He said although security operations have resulted in hundreds of arrests and the seizure of significant quantities of mining equipment, the effectiveness of the campaign ultimately depends on the ability of the justice system to deal with those arrested.

As of July 2026, Mr Buah said 258 people had been arrested during operations targeting illegal mining in forest reserves.

“The challenge we are having is not the arrest. It is the prosecution,” he said.

He made the disclosure during a policy engagement with the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education in Accra on Thursday, August 13, where he outlined the government’s measures to tackle illegal mining and address challenges inherited in the mining sector.

The IMANI delegation was led by its Founding President and Chief Executive Officer, Franklin Cudjoe, and included Vice-President for Strategy Selorm Branttie, writer and IMANI associate Kay Codjoe, and IMANI associate Ransford Brobbey.

Mr Buah said the Ministry was engaging the Attorney-General’s Department to address the difficulties associated with prosecuting illegal mining cases.

The admission comes amid growing enforcement activities against galamsey, with authorities reporting the seizure of 200 excavators, 1,469 pumping machines and 950 changfan machines as of July 2026.